The present invention relates to a device which may be utilized to transport generally elongated equipment in a safe and convenient manner, as well as to support that equipment during its normal use so that it will not tend to move relative to the floor.
Although the present invention will be described with reference to equipment such as that which is normally used by a professional musician, and, more particularly, a drummer, it will be realized that it could be similarly used for any relatively delicate equipment which should be protected when it is being transported from one location to another.
In most cases, a drummer uses a wide variety of drums any cymbals in any given instrument set up. In addition, he usually has a stool upon which he sits during an engagement or practice. Each of the drums, the cymbals, and the stool have a stand or legs for support during use. In order to allow compact storage and transportation of the stand and legs, they are usually manufactured so that they fold into a relatively compact, substantially elongated package.
In the past, in order to transport the stand and legs from one location to another, the drummer would have to fold them and/or break them down into individual pieces which could then be packaged either inside of or against the outside of a suitcase, sometimes called a "trap case."
Unfortunately, this prior art system has been both inconvenient and uneconomical since it results in scratching and damage to the legs and stands as they are broken down, mounted in or on the trap case, etc. In fact, the breaking down and reassembly of the equipment hastens the day upon which it must be replaced due to stripped threads, etc.
As a result, a need has existed for some time for a convenient packaging and transportation system for such equipment. The system should allow equipment to be conveniently gathered, maintained in a fixed position so that it cannot rub against other equipment and scratch and dammage it, and obviate the need for the equipment to be broken down and reassembled before and after each transportation.
In this same musical field of interest, most musicians are aware of the fact that a drummer prefers to have his equipment set up on a relatively skid-proof or high friction surface when he is using it so that his normal playing will not cause the drums and cymbals to move due to striking, percussion vibration, etc. Obviously, if such equipment does move, it becomes more and more diffficult for the musician to play the drums as the piece progresses since they tend to move further and further apart. In the past, however, in order for the musician to insure that he had a relatively high friction surface at his gig-site, it was necessary for him to bring a carpet or large bolt of material upon which he could arrange his equipment so that it would not move. If he failed to provide this himself, he either needed to make other arrangements with the owner of the job site or take his chances on giving less than his best performance as a result of the undesirable equipment movement. Consequently, the musician not only needed a storage and transportation device, but he also needed a skid-proof playing surface upon which to arrange his equipment at a gig. Also, since the equipment is relatively heavy, the musician needs both a flooring surface which is substantial and will stand up under wear and a transportation device which will remain relatively rigid so that it will protect the equipment and prevent it from being damaged.
Whereas, in the prior art, the musician could use a trap case to transport the legs and stands in a relatively safe configuration, even though he had to break most of them down each time, he had to provide his own carpet or else take a chance on accomplishing a less than satisfactory performance. On the other hand, although there have been devices for transporting elongated articles, such as the fishing rod carrying case depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 3,575,327, such devices have been rather flimsy and have served more as a convenient transportation system for relatively lightweight equipment, rather than as a protection device. In no known instance, has the prior art resulted in a transportation device for elongated equipment which will both protect the equipment and support it during its normal use.